Sorrell College of Business senior Dana Brown has published a memoir chronicling her deeply personal journey through adoption, childhood trauma, abuse and rejection, ultimately finding healing, resilience and hope.

The Line Ends With Me explores perseverance, breaking generational cycles and finding purpose through adversity. The book is available on Amazon.

“What makes this particularly compelling is that Dana chose to transform some of life’s most difficult experiences into a message intended to encourage others who may be facing similar struggles,” said Dr. Lane Chadwick, a professor of economics in the School of Creative Enterprise and Market Systems. “Her willingness to tell her story so openly is both courageous and inspiring, and I believe it reflects the determination and resilience we so often celebrate within the TROY family.”

Brown balances her online education with raising a family, working at an accounting firm and helping operate Poley Creek Farms, a family honeybee farm. She and her husband have two sons, ages 7 and 2 months.

She said TROY’s flexibility has allowed her to pursue her degree while managing her other responsibilities.

“Balancing a career, running a business, writing a book, raising a family and earning a college degree could very easily feel overwhelming,” Brown said. “TROY’s flexibility, especially the ability to take online courses and work through shorter terms, has allowed me to continue pursuing my education without having to put the other important parts of my life on hold.”

Brown said her experience as an online student initially was challenging. She felt disconnected from the university and struggled to develop a clear academic plan.

“My first experiences at TROY were honestly a little challenging,” she said. “As an online student, there were times when I felt a little pushed to the side or disconnected from the university.”

That changed with the help of Chadwick, who helped Brown establish a timeline for completing her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

“With Dr. Lane’s help and as I’ve gotten further into my program, I’ve started to feel much more connected to TROY and like I truly belong here,” Brown said. “Having someone take the time to help me navigate my degree and make sure I understood where I was going made a huge difference.”

Brown said having an end goal without a clear path to reach it was particularly stressful.

“As someone who is a planner, and who also works for an accountant, having an end goal without a clear plan for how I was going to get there was stressful for me, both academically and financially,” she said. “I was constantly trying to figure out which classes I needed, how long everything would take and what the overall cost would look like.”

Chadwick’s guidance developed into a mentoring relationship that continues to support Brown in her academic journey.

“Sometimes mentorship isn’t about one piece of life-changing advice. Sometimes it’s simply having someone willing to take the time to help you find your way, and Dr. Lane has been that person for me,” Brown said.

Brown said her experience as an online student also has helped her develop skills in communication, organization, time management and accountability.

“Being an online student requires you to take ownership of your education,” she said. “You have to learn how to manage your time, meet deadlines, communicate when you need help and hold yourself accountable.”

Those skills have proved valuable as Brown balances college, work, family, church and the farm with her husband.

Despite her busy schedule, Brown found time to write and publish her memoir, motivated by her passion for mental health, healing and breaking generational cycles.

“I believe there are a lot of people carrying things silently, and one of the reasons I chose to share my story was to help other people feel more comfortable talking about the difficult parts of their own stories and seeking healing,” she said.

Brown said her faith also has played a significant role in how she has processed her experiences and shaped her future.

“I’m active in my church, and my relationship with God has played a major role in how I’ve learned to look at my past and what I want to do with my experiences moving forward,” she said.

“Between motherhood, family, church, our farm, writing, work and college, I don’t have a lot of traditional ‘free time,’ but those are genuinely the things I love,” Brown said. “But at the end of the day, being a mom will always be my favorite title.”